Agricultural Environmental Specialist 1-3

State of Louisiana•Baton Rouge, LA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position serves in the Office of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. This posting is for 2 vacant positions serving Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. The position performs complex and advanced-level duties for the Office of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and entails responsibility and professional agricultural inspection and enforcement work in a variety of technically specialized and professional regulatory programs, including but not limited to pesticide, horticulture and quarantine, seed, industrial hemp, agricultural chemistry programs, and structural pest control. Grow your career with opportunities in leadership, professional development, and specialized advancement opportunities.

Requirements

Three years of experience in agriculture, chemistry, natural resource management, structural pest control, or inspection or enforcement for compliance with agricultural, environmental, or public health laws, rules or regulations; OR A bachelor’s degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental science, or engineering field.
Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement.
Making Accurate Judgments: The ability to assess options, weigh risks, and make sound decisions using available information and logical reasoning.
Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well- supported conclusions.

Nice To Haves

Accepting Direction: The ability to be open and willing to follow guidance or instructions.
Demonstrating Initiative: The ability to assess situations independently and take proactive steps to address them without being prompted or instructed by others.
Displaying Expertise: The ability to demonstrate specialized knowledge, skills, and experience to apply subject-matter expertise in diverse and evolving contexts.
Driving Results: The ability to set and pursue goals, maintain focus amid competing demands, and deliver results.
Managing Projects: The ability to plan, implement, and close out project initiatives by coordinating people, resources, and timelines to achieve defined outcomes.

Responsibilities

Informs dealers, manufacturers, farmers, growers, or bookkeepers of laws, rules, and regulations concerning seed, fertilizer, pesticides, beans, sweet potatoes, nurseries, etc.
Conducts field inspections for the purpose of certification of soybeans, wheat, rice, seed, etc. to ensure that the fields do not contain other varieties than specified and do not contain noxious weeds.
Collects certified seed samples from bags and bins of dealers, farmers, and growers for testing by the state seed analyst to ensure that they germinate according to specified percentages and do not contain noxious weed seeds.
Assists in the inspection of nurseries (wholesale) in order to detect the presence of fire ants as well as apply approved insecticides to nursery property to eradicate fire ants by operating a jeep, tractor, or seeder.
Assists in inspecting wholesale and retail nurseries and greenhouses in order to identify seeds or pest-infected plants.
Performs grade inspections and inspects sweet potatoes by load, cannery, or shipping plant to ensure that they are weevil free.
Inspects sweet potato fields and seed bins to ensure that they are weevil free and properly cleaned.
Makes corrective recommendations to growers who deal with plants that are diseased or weevils that are found in potatoes.
Collects representative samples of pesticides and transmits to lab to ensure product content as per label.
Spot-checks pesticides with farmers and dealers to ensure that they are labeled and registered.
Checks nursery stock, flower dealers, arborists, horticulturists, landscape architects, and contractors for proper licenses.